Santa Rosa Police Searching For Suspected Package Thief
SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) – Santa Rosa police released a photo Thursday of a suspect who stole a package from the front porch of a residence on Cypress Way in the Bennett Valley area of east Santa Rosa on Dec. 11.
The suspect, who appears to be a woman wearing a light blue top and blue slacks or jeans, may be associated with a white, new model Ford Explorer, and may be responsible for additional package thefts, police Sgt. Josh Ludtke said.
Anyone who recognizes the suspect is asked to call (707) 543-3575.
Police have been receiving reports of package thefts from the doorsteps of residences for the past month, Ludtke said. Many have occurred in the downtown and Julliard Park neighborhoods, Ludtke said.
Package deliveries skyrocket in December, providing opportunities for thefts when residents are away from home and the packages are left unattended on porches and at front doors, Ludtke said.
Thieves often are seen watching houses and patrolling a neighborhood on foot or on bicycles, Ludtke said. Some thieves also follow delivery trucks and wait until they see no one has answered the door, leaving the package unattended, Ludtke said.
Residents can take measures to prevent package theft and secure their delivery by requiring a signature on delivery, insuring and tracking packages, arranging for a post office pickup, asking a friend or neighbor to look out for the package and having packages shipped to their resident's workplace, Ludtke said.
The United Parcel Service has a new app, UPS Access Point that allows packages to be delivered to businesses near a resident's home, Ludtke said. The six access points in Santa Rosa area are available at www.ups.com.
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